Back in January 2015 I joined up as a beginner with my local running club the Gosport Road Runners. My partner had challenged me to take part in a 10 mile race, the Great South Run in that year so I needed to train properly. I found it hard to think at that time I would be able to do 1mile let alone 10. But I did it!
I would say joining the running club has probably been the best thing I have ever done and I have now completed many 5k, 10k, 5 mile, 10 mile and a few half marathon races. Now my next challenge will be a full marathon (26.2 miles) and it has come a lot sooner than I thought.
On the 18th December I will be taking part in the Portsmouth Coastal Waterside Marathon. It is an out and back route starting at the Pyramids Centre, Portsmouth, along Eastern Road passed Farlington Marshes, along the Hayling Billy Leisure Trail, down to the Station Theatre, Hayling and back again. Training for it so far has gone well especially with the added help and advice from the running club and their support is vital to my progress in achieving my goal.
Giving support to GAFIRS is vital too. They are my local Lifeboat Station near Alverstoke village on the peninsula of Gosport, Hampshire. The crew are volunteers who live normal lives just like you and me but drop everything at a moment's notice to respond to people in distress 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to H.M Coastguard. They deal with primarily emergencies at sea, though inland incidents are also covered. In the last 23 years GAFIRS have dealt with 2,525 incidents, an average of 109 each year, making them one of the busiest stations in the United Kingdom, covering Eastern Solent and Portsmouth Harbour.
GAFIRS are an independent search and rescue facility who receive no funding from the RNLI and this is why I feel strongly about raising money for them. We need to help them keep afloat and continue to help us as they play such a vital role for our area. Thank you for your support